Went to Nha Toi for lunch. I went for the original with pate. Quite tasty. I really liked the meat. It seems better quality and a little more abundant than most places. The carrots and daikon in the sandwich were not 'pickled'. I found I missed the expected sweetness. I also tried the bulgogi and kimchee summer rolls. Excellent.

It is really a take out place only right now. There is only one small table with a couple of chairs.

There are two basic options, Summer Rolls or Bahn Mi. Within those options there are a half dozen choices for each. Varying from the traditional to the innovative.

In speaking with the owner, I learned they have only been opened for two and a half weeks. There was an obvious passion for what he was doing when he spoke. That is always a good thing too see.

Went back for round 2 today (I could eat bahn mi for lunch most every day). Had the shredded pork with skin version and the shrimp and bacon summer rolls.

I found the summer rolls to be excellent again. They are made fresh right in front of you which I think is part of their appeal. Bacon a little warm everything else cool, the wrapper is just right, these are good.

Sandwich was better this time, the veggies were pickled. Meat was quite good, it was a roast pulled pork variety although I did not pause to taste it on its own. Even had a little extra cilantro I love. I am guessing my last sandwich was made with veggies just into the marinade and did not have time to soak any flavor up. Anyway, a thumbs up for me. Glad to have the place in the area.

The one on Havemeyer is called Nha toi. Pretty good but I really like the banh mi on that monday Vietnamese restaurant Bep on Bedford and South 3rd at Simple cafe. So far I tried both sandwiches...goood BBQ pork and grilled pork Banh mi.

I tried Nha Toi today and wasn't crazy about it - maybe it's my Western palate, but I love the versions at Nicky's and Hanco - grilled pork or chicken and jalapenos or spicy sauce - but pork skin and pulled pork or bland shredded chicken didn't do it for me. I'll give it another chance and try different options, but this sandwich might have been a little more authentic, but it wasn't for me. And I don't get the David Chang reference.

And I was perfectly happy with the sandwich. However my vote is with Nha Toi for a banh mi that had more life and flavor across the board. Better bread; better quality meat (it seemed to me) w/ more distinctive flavor; more vegetables; more piquant sauce.

Not to be polemical -- like I said I thought Bep was a nice operation and I'm glad it exists -- but in terms of mano a mano banh mi smack-down my vote would have to go to Nha Toi.

Prev had always been a Broome / Mott banh mi eater, and only when passing thru neighborhood.

(Haven't been to the Sunset Park joint either.)

In terms of non-C town Banh Mi I've only been to that Baoguette place in gramercy / murray hill. Liked Nha Toi better, I'd say without thinking much about it, but Baoguette is perfectly good if you're in the neighborhood looking for lunch.

In fact I'd say same about Nha Toi and the Bep place. I only went there bc I live and work nearby. I wouldn't say either are worth traveling for. But given that both are w/in 4-5 blocks of my office I'll be eating them again at some point.

I agree with the subsequent comments that based on your appreciation for Chinatown Banh Mi, you should check out Ba Xuyen. But to be honest, I've done a lot of traveling and eaten stinky tofu, scorpion and broiled eel's liver so don't usually think of myself this way, but I prefer the Nicky's version because the Ba Xuyen sandwiches are sometimes a little too "authentic" for me.

I haven't been since opening but Silent H was *awful* then, and I haven't heard anything from friiends who've been in the intervening time to make me think it's gotten any better. Too bad bc the owner is a super nice guy. I also have much fond feeling for the space from several years of brunch/lunch @ Oznot's.

Hear you on "authentic" banh mi. Not a huge fan of the weird pates and other mystery meat. (Nor do I like fish balls or head cheese!) I usually go straight pork.

Will check out Nicky's next time I'm down that way + hungry. (Although could be a difficult call giiven proximity of Porchetta and Ramen Setagaya. Maybe I'll fast through a morning then triple up for lunch.)

Ba Xuyen is still the best -- AND they have grilled pork (very lemongrassy) or chicken and Viet meat ball sandwiches if you're not feeling the headcheese/pate. Their bread and pickled veg is great. Sardine and vegetable options available. Hanco and Nicky's are twice the price and less delicious, so I wouldn't ever recommend those unless you happen to live close by.

Totally keen to check out the new styles in Williamsburg...the NYT article will do well for them.

As for Sunset Park, I have not been yet, but one of the Red Hook vendors has opened a restaurant : Casa Vieja, 5th Ave (between 60th and 61st).I still pick up takeout tamales from Ricos Tamales on 5th Ave near 45th St. Love the Oaxacquenos....

i'm viet - i guess phonetically it's neither 'bahn' or 'bun' - actually something in between. i live in wburg and i agree silent H is a realll disappointment. that ny times article is making me want to open up my own place. my viet roommate and i are always whipping up amazing viet food in our kitchen! interesting how viet food is finally picking up in ny!

yes, all those places in the NYT article, plus, walked past Thai Me Up on east 14th, as well as the Nam Pung, and then walked past the new baoguette on st marks; peeked into the window at An Choi in LES; that sandwich is really blowing up; it's amazing and hopefully, a sustained explosion.

the one thing that tempted me on the menu of An Choi (LES) and Nha Toi (W'burg) was the pork belly + Pork skin banh mi. Was watching both places assemble sandwiches (not really impressed with how they looked); baoguette's sandwich looked pretty huge though.

I went to Banh Mi 172 on Bedford and N8, and it was excellent. The bread is super fresh, the vegetables perfectly crisp and pickled, and the service was very quick and friendly. I would recommend a #2 if you want an authentic cold cuts banh mi experience. But I really recommend a #5, the barbecued pork. It's so tender and flavorful.

Also, their Viet coffee is very good as well as their Vegan Roll, which is a summer roll, but Vegan. Make sure to specify that you want Peanut Sauce instead of their vinaigrette sauce for the vegan roll. The peanut sauce is just better.

Anyways, I'm a huge fan. This place is going to become one of my staples what with its cheap prices and late hours.

I went to 172 on Bedford last weekend and was sorely disappointed. I got the #5 (barbecued pork), which was limp, gristly and bland. The pork was the major problem - -totally unseasoned and fatty. The vegetables weren't crisp. For me, the best banh mi really sings when it is composed -- it transcends the sum of it's parts. The sandwich I got on Saturday was bland greasy pork with limp vegetables. I was really rooting for a great place in the 'burg, too. My favorite banh mis in NYC remain Ba Xuyen, Baoguette and Hanco's.

I went there (to 172) on a weekday two weeks ago for lunch and while not nearly and by no means blown away, I thought my #5 was credible. (Definitely none of the problems you encountered w/ the pork.) Summer rolls ok too.

Not sure where I rank it in terms of Wmsburg options btwn Nha Toi and the Monday-only joint whose name I'm forgetting. But it's comparable.

Comparable also to Baoguette I'd say.

(None of which IMO are materially better than cheap chinatown banh mi from broome place or Mott place. I still need to get to Ba Xuyen, per some prev posts.)

It's certainly good enough for the location. They're definitely going to print money.

Hope the pho joint opening next door doesn't suck.... Good pho would be a real neighborhood resource. Even credible pho, since there's no good pho in NYC!

-- Spring rolls + summer rolls excellent. -- Papaya salad great. -- I'm not a huge pho lover (prefer other species of Asian noodle soup like ramen, kuay teow / Thai, certain Chinese types) but I thought the pho was quite good. (Better than any I've had in NYC I think. [have still not been to Pho Tay Ho.] And I think possibly up there with a Jonathan-Gold-best-of-LA pho I had earlier this year in San Gabriel Valley.)-- Banh mi still good. (Might not rise to Ba Xuyen but then again I still haven't tried the "pho banh mi" at Nha Toi that everyone loves.)

Definitely worth checking out. Possible that I back off my possibly-best-in-NYC claim after more visits. (Then again maybe I will double down.) However it's definitely good. A HUGE win in terms of neighborhood takeout/delivery. (Will definitely put a dent in my M Shanghai bill. ) Etc.